Free Fool That I Am by Paulette Oakes

bitter
former employees, The Silver Knight has never solicited or condoned sexual
activity on our premises. That is so déclassé that I would never allow it,” he
assured her. At her obvious look of relief, he continued, “The private lounge
will be a smaller, more intimate retreat for people to dine and watch a show. I
have several different acts lined up, but the one I was missing was for an
old-fashioned jazz club or lounge singer. I think you would fit the bill perfectly.”
    Billie’s jaw dropped and she stared at him like he had horns
growing out of his head. “Me? You’ve got to be joking! I’ve never performed for
any audience other than karaoke here every now and then. You got the wrong
girl, Daniel.”
    Holding his hand up to forestall further argument, he rushed
to explain. “Please let me elaborate, Billie. Every now and then, I come across
an exceptional ‘diamond in the rough’ and I just have this feeling that person
is destined for more. You are one of those people, Billie. Don’t turn me down
without hearing me out, please.”
    Despite her better judgment, Billie was beginning to be
intrigued. She had always had a secret fantasy like this, but never dreamed it
could be a reality. It had taken months for her friends to just convince her to
get up and sing karaoke. She couldn’t imagine being a live singer with no
prompter feeding her the words. Could she carry a performance like that? A part
of her came alive at the thought, but the pragmatist inside her shook her head
in the negative.
    “I think I understand what you’re going for, but I still
think you’ve got the wrong girl. Besides, I’ve got a full-time job and kids, so
I don’t see how I could possibly make it work. I appreciate the compliment,
Daniel, and it was wonderful to meet you, but I think you need to keep
looking,” Billie said regretfully, pushing back the chair to stand.
    Daniel rose from his chair, as well, and buttoned his suit
coat in a move so practiced that it looked automatic. Taking the card from the
table, he placed it in her hand. “Don’t make any snap judgments, please,
Billie. I would love for you to visit, see the lounge, and discuss more about
this at length. If you’re free tomorrow, I would be honored to have you visit
me for a late lunch at the club and I could give you a tour and tell you about
my vision. Would two pm work for you?”
    Billie could tell he wasn’t a man that heard “no” often and
was determined to have his own way. She had absolutely nothing to do tomorrow
except clean the house and watch old movies, so it would be nice to have a
reason to get out of the house. The meeting would be an exercise in futility,
but at least she would get a peek into the famous club.
    Meeting his intense stare, she finally said, “Alright, I’ll
meet you there at two, but I don’t have anything fancy enough to wear there, so
I will be wearing jeans. I still don’t think you will change my mind, but if
you want to try, I’m willing to listen.”
    His slow, sexy smile bathed her in a happy glow. “Excellent.
And, please, wear whatever makes you comfortable, Billie. Our members don’t
usually start showing up until later in the evening, so don’t worry on that
score. I look forward to seeing you there.”
    He took her hand in his and raised her knuckles to his lips
for a chaste, chivalrous kiss before turning to stride purposefully from the
room. She looked down at the card in her hand and slowly brought it to her
nose. She could detect his expensive cologne and she breathed deeply, pulling
the scent down into her lungs. As if their conversation had taken place in a
vacuum, the noise from the club suddenly intruded on her consciousness along
with sensory overload, but all she could think about was the look in Daniel’s
eyes as he had kissed her hand.
     

CHAPTER
NINE
     
    The next day, Billie took more care with her appearance than
she usually did. While the results didn’t quite match the makeover